Mary Geeleher

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Mary Geeleher was born in Cork and she grew up on a farm. Her rural background has been a big influence on her art. From a very early age she showed an interest in art. Mary qualified as a nurse but she was always interested in art. Throughout her nursing career she found time to study watercolour and oil painting, jewellery making, dress design etc.

She attended Art College in Galway as a mature student and qualified with an Honours Degree in Fine Art in 2004. She has spent many years painting and printmaking but her passion is for traditional printmaking. Mary has exhibited extensively in Ireland, England, Australia, China and the USA. She has been a member of Galway Printmakers since its formation and has exhibited annually in its traveling exhibition.

Mary is also a member of Visual Artists Ireland.

I have spent many years working in traditional printmaking. I like to use brilliant colour, layering on different plates. I work a lot using carborundum; I can get lots of tone and velvety finishes with this technique and it gives a very different finish to other types of printmaking. It’s a relief technique that uses textured plates, so it creates different effects on the print. I sometimes overprint with a drypoint plate or silk screen. I like the scratching and scraping that occurs in creating a drypoint print. I feel it relates to the farmer tilling the land. As a printmaker I am being constantly challenged to create something new.